Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from Giannis Antetokounmpo’s supermax signing

3. Now everybody else has to pivot

The Milwaukee Bucks are the biggest winners in free agency simply by virtue of being able to lock Giannis Antetokounmpo into place for the next six years, and the teams that have been in a holding pattern in hopes that he would depart find themselves having to scramble.

The free agent bonanza of 2021 is looking less appealing by the week as players like Giannis and Paul George (two completely different tiers of players, mind you) sign long extensions and the free agency destination locations have entirely altered outlooks. Certainly, the teams who have been looking to make a big splash with a major move like signing Antetokounmpo have Plan Bs to switch to, but they are indeed going to have to move on to lesser targets.

We’ll see if that means the Miami Heat will trade for James Harden or whether the Toronto Raptors or Dallas Mavericks have something clever up their sleeves at the trade deadline, but that’s what is up next for these teams.

Sometimes good things come to those that wait. But sometimes the good things, like Giannis Antetokounpo, just stay in Milwaukee.